Zhang Xinyu, a 13-year-old Go player from Quzhou becomes the first local professional Go player, with a record of 11 wins and four defeats at the latest tournament. [Photo/zjol.com.cn]

The 2021 Zhongan Cup National Go Tournament came to an end on July 18 in the Xiaoshan district of Hangzhou – capital city of East China's Zhejiang province – with 504 players and 93 teams participating.

Zhang Xinyu, a 13-year-old Go player from Quzhou became the first local professional Go player, with a record of 11 wins and four defeats in the tournament.  

Go, or Weiqi in Chinese, is an abstract strategy game where two players take turns placing black and white stones on a board. Quzhou's Lanke Mountain – administered by the city's Kecheng district – is the legendary birthplace of Go and as a result many fans show a keen interest in the area.

The National Go Tournament is hosted by the Board and Card Games Administrative Center of the General Administration of Sports of China and the Chinese Go Association. It is an annual test for young amateur players who want to enter the professional ranks.

The annual National Go Tournament, which brings together talented young players from all over the country, has been held for more than 30 years. The participants are all amateur elite players in terms of national Go.